Recent national events, such as the two year expulsion of
eight students for fighting in Decatur, Illinois, have thrust zero tolerance
school discipline policies into the national spotlight. Zero tolerance
has gained wide popularity among politicians and many administrators for
its promise of a no-nonsense solution to a difficult problem.

Yet the application of zero tolerance policies have created
controversy at the state and national level.18 Some districts supporting
a zero tolerance approach have reported initial increases in weapons confiscated.
Yet at the same time, strict application of zero tolerance has led to
numerous cases of suspension or expulsion for everything from paper clips
to organic cough drops, Midol, or homework completion.

The zero tolerance approach has also led to increases in
the use of school suspension and expulsion; unfortunately, there is no
evidence that suspension and expulsion are effective in changing student
behavior or improving school safety. Despite a widespread perception that
suspension and expulsion are reserved for serious incidents, those consequences
are often used indiscriminately; in 1997-98, only about 4% of the suspensions
and expulsions in Indiana were in response to serious disruptions. Moreover,
exclusionary approaches tend to be used inconsistently: one researcher
concluded that students wishing to reduce their rates of suspension would
do better changing schools than improving their behavior or attitudes.
Of serious concern is the racial and economic bias that often seems to
accompany the use of suspension and expulsion: African-Americans have
typically been found to be suspended at a rate two to three times that
of other students, and are sometimes punished more severely for less severe
behavior. Finally, while there is little data on the short-term effectiveness
of suspension, in the long term, it is associated with higher rates of
school dropout. The message of zero tolerance is politically appealing,
giving parents and communities the perception that schools are being tough
on crime. While there are doubtless situations in which removing a child
from school is necessary for that child or others' safety, at present
we have no evidence that punishment and exclusion can in and of themselves
solve problems of school violence, or teach students alternatives to violence.